To measure markers of leukocyte activation in patients with an exclusively ocular
inflammatory or bacterial disease.
Neutrophil myeloperoxidase, eosinophil cationic protein, eosinophil neurotoxin, and
soluble interleukin-2 receptor were measured in serum and tears of 17 patients with
allergic vernal keratoconjunctivitis, seven with atopic keratoconjunctivitis, 11 with
seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, seven with giant papillary conjunctivitis, 13 with
rosacea blepharokeratoconjunctivitis, seven with bacterial conjunctivitis, and 13
normal subjects as controls.
In serum of patients with vernal and atopic keratoconjunctivitis, levels of eosinophil
cationic protein, eosinophil neurotoxin, and interleukin-2 receptor were significantly
increased compared with control subjects but were not correlated with the severity
of ocular symptoms. In tears of patients with vernal and atopic keratoconjunctivitis
and seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, as well as in the nonallergic diseases, rosacea
blepharokeratoconjunctivitis and bacterial conjunctivitis, levels of eosinophil cationic
protein, neurotoxin, and interleukin-2 receptor were significantly increased compared
with control subjects. The highest values of these markers were found in vernal keratoconjunctivitis
samples. Neutrophil myeloperoxidase was significantly increased in vernal and atopic
keratoconjunctivitis, rosacea blepharokeratoconjunctivitis, and bacterial conjunctivitis.
In vernal keratoconjunctivitis, tear markers were correlated to the clinical score
of the disease, but not with cytology.
Tear histamine was measured in 10 allergic patients after allergen challenge. Although
none of the above markers can be considered specific to a single disease, their measurement
may still be useful for the quantification of local cell activation in ocular inflammatory
diseases.